A Stewardess branded by failure

A Piper on the run

One pursuit that blurs the line between justice and love

Selene was the perfect stewardess—until she cursed a prince into a beast. To atone for her transgression, she is branded and must apprehend the Pied Piper who stole one-hundred-and-thirty children from their homes. But the man she finds isn’t the villain she expected.

Living on the run is the only way Reid can mask the truth of his crime. He never expected to be caught, but a crafty, magic-wielding stewardess outsmarts him. Yet, the more time he spends with her, the harder it becomes to keep his secrets buried.

What begins as a mission of redemption becomes a journey of unraveling truths—and hearts. In a world of peril and wild magic, Selene and Reid must decide whether to cling to their facades or risk everything for a love that could cost them both their freedom.

Falling for the Pied Piper is a retelling that combines elements of The Beauty and the Beast and The Pied Piper. Set after the events of each of these stories, this no-spice romantasy is the 10th book in the To Win a Dark Heart series which retells fairytales as old as time, but this time it’s the villain’s turn to get a happy ending.

Published
March 20, 2026
Where to find this book
External links open a book search at the selected retailer. Availability may vary.
To Win a Dark Heart

The series

Full series details →

In this shadow tinged collection, familiar fairy tales tilt just slightly off their axis. The stories linger where old legends rarely pause, inside the thoughts of characters who usually stand at the edges of the light. The series, To Win a Dark Heart, follows figures shaped by curses, broken loyalties, and the kind of longing that thrives where magic and danger meet.

Read full series description

Each novella steps into a different corner of enchanted lore. You might cross paths with a witch who guards her solitude like a shield, or a fae whose heart has hardened after centuries of betrayal. Their worlds are textured with quiet forests, forgotten ruins, and spells that hum beneath every choice they make. The romance that grows within these pages leans more toward tension than sweetness, the kind that builds slowly as trust becomes more dangerous than any curse.

There is a constant thread running through the series, even as each story stands on its own. Every tale asks what happens when the so called villain is no longer reduced to a single role. When their motives, griefs, and fierce hopes are allowed room to breathe, the line between hero and monster begins to blur. That shift creates a mood that readers of dark romantic fantasy often crave, the feeling that something ancient and meaningful is unfolding just out of sight.

The author’s voice carries a quiet intensity, using atmosphere rather than spectacle to draw you deeper. The emotional pull comes from characters who are guarded yet vulnerable, powerful yet lonely, each of them navigating a world where magic is both temptation and threat.

For anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings with a darker pulse, morally gray characters, low spice romantic tension, and immersive settings shaped by myth, this series offers an experience that feels both familiar and new. It hints at danger, desire, and the possibility that even the most guarded heart can be won, though never easily.

If you step into these stories, expect curses that tangle with fate, secrets that reshape old tales, and romances built on fragile trust rather than perfect endings. The shadows do not swallow everything. Sometimes they reveal what the light never could.

Risingshadow

Anticipation distribution

How anonymous reader anticipation is distributed across the 1–10 scale.

100
92
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
Risingshadow

Be the first reviewer

Sign in and write the first reader review.

Risingshadow

Readers Also Enjoyed